Slive: "Who you played, the quality of competition; where you played, on the road, neutral sites; with whom did you play, was everybody healthy, available on either team; and how you played, talking about winning, and there's always discussion about what is a good loss."

UCLA hasn't played a great nonconference schedule, lost to Texas and Michigan, but the Bruins' dominance of late has them on the bracket rise. Winning the Pac-10 probably will put UCLA on the No.2 line, no worse than No. 3.

USC is a much more perplexing case. Slive doesn't talk about specific teams, but the Trojans are an NCAA bubble team with an interesting portfolio. USC is 15-7 overall and 6-4 in the Pac-10. The team's best nonconference win was against Georgia Tech, currently bringing up the rear of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Trojans, though, have some nonconference quality losses: to fast-rising Missouri in late November in Puerto Rico -- USC led by 10 in the second half -- and a one-point, early-December defeat at No. 2 Oklahoma.

If it comes down to net-cutting time for USC, will the NCAA consider its failures?

Slive: "As we talk about the teams, the quality of their season, their body of work, which includes some games that were very, very close, and maybe a close loss. There may have been an injury, there may have been a controversial call, there may have been a three-quarter-court, last-second shot. All of that weighs into the conversation. But there is no one thing that is going to make a change.

"But obviously a win is a heck of a lot better than a close loss."

So is your team going to make the tournament?

I don't know.

Wait, he's on third.

-- Chris Dufresne

Photo: SEC Commissioner Mike Slive poses with Tim Tebow after the Florida quarterback was awarded the most valuable player trophy for his performance in the SEC championship game. Credit: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images